Page 25 - Issue 3 2020 - Kyalami Connect

Estate News

NATURE
Kyalami Estates
Brand Manual
A CULTURAL &

BIRDING TRIP TO

BHUTAN

PART 1

BY RON SEARLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MERL & MARTY ARNOT, DAVID SHACKELFORD AND RON SEARLE

nown as ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’, Bhutan, a land-locked
monarchy located in the Eastern Himalayas - bordered to the
north by Tibet, the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam
Kto the south, Arunachal Pradesh to the east and Sikkim
to the west - is a destination like no other, boasting breath-taking
mountain scenery and vast forests covering 71% of the total land area of
46 620km². Apart from a few narrow strips of the Indian plains which
penetrate the southern borders of Bhutan, the country is completely
mountainous with steep slopes and altitudes ranging from 180m to
7 550m above sea level. The main Himalayan chain on the southern edge
of the Tibetan Plateau is the northern border of the country, an area
above the tree-line, largely inaccessible and accordingly unexplored and
pristine.
The wide range in altitude and topography produces an equally great
range of climatic conditions responsible for the very considerable forest
coverage. Three climatic zones have been identified, viz: sub-tropical
180 - 1 800m characterised by steep slopes and broad-leaved forest (both
warm and cool); mid-montane 1 800 - 3 500m with coniferous forests (Chir
and Blue Pine, Spruce, Hemlock and Fir); and alpine > 3 500m with tundra
vegetation, alpine meadows, snow-covered peaks and glaciers.

Top: Thimpu Dzong (DS) With its astonishingly significant forest cover, the
Above: Chorten (Shrine) and Prayer Flags, Royal Government’s commitment to both the
Dochu La Pass (DS)
Opposite: Monks at Trashigang Dzong environment and sustainable development, plus the largely
Monastery (DS) Buddhist population’s deeply ingrained respect for nature,
Bhutan is in many ways an ideal model for conservation.
Kyalami Estates • CONNECT • Issue 3 • 2020 23